It’s challenging for Australia to play T20s: Shane Watson

Arguably the most successful cricketing nation as far as Tests and ODIs are concerned, Australia have struggled in Twenty20 and all-rounder Shane Watson feels it is because the shortest format only has “entertainment value”.

“It is challenging with T20Is. Apart from the World T20, there really isn’t that much riding on the series apart from national pride and wanting to win for your country,” said Watson at the pre-match press conference on Thursday. “There is no rankings or big sort of things around and its pure entertainment value, and it certainly provides a lot of entertainment.

Watson said it would be a difficult task to get the right combination ahead of the World T20. “...it is always a challenge at the back end of a summer, especially with a couple of guys going to New Zealand early and the make up of the World T20 squad going to India potentially could be different as well. It’s hard to know what the make up is going to be. “There isn’t much continuity with the T20 group until it gets into the WorldT20 and it makes it very challenging to get the combination right. To know the roles of different guys and how they fit in and makes it very challenging, that’s one of the major reasons why we have been so inconsistent.”

The hard-hitting all-rounder said he was extremely impressed with Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah. “Seeing him in the IPL for Mumbai Indians, he has done incredibly well for them. He bowls at good pace and he is different from the way he swings the ball into the right-handers. Bringing the brand new ball in, he is able to execute his yorkers very well so there is no surprise that he has come into the Indian team and done very well.”

He, meanwhile, dismissed the flare-up between Steve Smith and Virat Kohli.

“Virat is a very excitable dude anyway so he gets involved in a contest. And obviously him and Steve have got a big and healthy rivalry as well for the most incredible batsman in the world at the moment. I will be very surprised if that affected the way Steve bats and he knows when to switch on. Virat plays with his heart on his sleeve and I certainly know that from experience. He sometimes gets into trouble because of it, but that’s the thing that drives him as well,” said Watson.

Australia will have Glenn Maxwell back into the fold for the second T20 after he has sufficiently recovered from his hamstring issues.